Minarets High School opened in 2008 as the first high school in the Chawanakee Unified School District, located in an area where students previously had to travel long distances to attend high school. The permanent campus was completed in 2009. In 2011, Minarets Charter High School was established to accommodate growing enrollment. The school uses a project-based, technology-centered approach and aims to prepare students for 21st century careers through an individualized learning model.

1. Minarets High School and
Minarets Charter High School
Paving the way for the 21st century

2. History of Minarets
✤ Minarets is the first and only High School in Chawanakee
Unified School District. Before the school was built, students in
district would travel 45 minutes to Sierra High school or 30
minutes to Yosemite High school. For more than 20 years there
was a push from the community to build a high school of their
own. In 2008, that dream was realized with the creation of
Minarets High School.
✤ The permanent campus was built and began housing students
in the Fall of 2009.
✤ In 2011, Minarets Charter High School was created in order to
facilitate the growing number of inter-district transfers.

3. School Profile
✤ Minarets High School is a comprehensive public high school that is project-based, tech-
centered (one-to-one laptop program), student-oriented and career-focused. Minarets
High School is an extension of the commitment of the current Chawanakee Unified
School District policies that emphasize innovation and creativity along with rigorous
academics.
✤ From its inception, Minarets High School was to be unique—a school based on
individual learning and truly being student-centered in all aspects. The rural school’s
curriculum is technology and project-based. Class time is spent according to student
needs and is shaped by student opinions, thinking, sharing, collaborating and
researching. All students will be successful and will know the adults care about them.
Learning is challenging and represents real, professional work. Students work toward
higher order thinking skills as they ask questions, defend their answers, and apply their
understandings.

4. School Mission
✤ Mission: Minarets High School is a new type of school for a new type of student, where
21st century digital learners are individually welcomed. These students are challenged
through a project-based, high-tech, career-focused and student-oriented educational
environment.
✤ Vision: While incorporating the guiding principles of Rigor, Relevance, Relationships
and Engagement, Minarets High School will continually work towards being a model
21st century high school. Minarets will integrate technology, digital learning models,
student-centered learning and young professionalism.

5. Parent Quotes
From Surveys
✤ Outstanding education begins with outstanding educators. I consider the Minarets administration and
staff to be exceptional. These individuals consistently communicate respect to adolescent students.
The result is "school engagement," an academic variable describing adolescent ownership of the
educational process and culture. Kids with "school engagement" show resilience against substance
abuse, status offenses, risky sexual behavior, delinquent behavior, and peer aggression. Better, they
thrive and become productive members of the academic community, realizing unique gifts and
gaining self-esteem. This single variable captures more statistical variance than any other in research
on positive youth development. Minarets is a national case study on how to promote school
engagement.
✤ Teacher engagement with the students is the best I have seen anywhere in the world. I have six
children and my youngest is attending Minarets. My other children have attended highly rated
schools in Washington, DC, American Schools in Argentina, Spain, and Japan, and several other
regions in the U.S. So far, I also like the balance placed on the "testable basics" and additional
breadth and depth of subjects that will provide a rich foundation for my child's future.

6. Student Quotes
From Surveys
✤ "Minarets is a school were the students are actually listened to and there thoughts are
heard."
- 10th Grader Kristle Wilson
✤ "Looking towards the future is what most people aim for; Minarets has made us look
into ourselves. That is where OUR futures lie."
– 10th Grader James Gonzalez
✤ “Minarets is preparing us for the world ahead and providing us that world today.”
– 11th Grader Chelsea Green

7. Demographics
✤ General School Breakdown
✤ Enrollment: 426
✤ Free and Reduced Lunch: 31.6%
✤ Socioeconomic Disadvantaged: 39%
✤ Students with Disabilities: 13.3%
✤ English Learners: 0%
✤ 48% Female; 52% Male

8. Ethnicity Breakdown
✤ American Indian 9.6%
✤ Asian 1.4%
✤ Hispanic/Latino 16.5%
✤ African American 1%
✤ White 71.1%%

9. English 9th Grade

10. English 10th Grade

11. Algebra 1 9th Grade

12. Algebra 2 9th Grade

13. Geometry 10 Grade

14. World History 10th Grade

15. Biology 9th Grade

16. Earth Science 9th Grade

17. ✤ 2011 Comparisons to Madera County and
the state of California

18. English 9th

19. English 10th

20. Algebra 1

21. Algebra 2

22. Geometry

23. World History

24. Biology

25. Earth Science

26. Language Arts AYP 2009-2011
There were no hispanic or
American Indian students
tested in 2009-2010

27. Math AYP 2009-2011
There were no Hispanic
students tested in 2009-2010

28. 2011 API Results
Information found from the California
Department of Education

29. API Ratings
✤ California State
Average API for
9-12 was 742.
✤ The API of
Minarets was 754.
✤ The Average for
Madera County
(Six large high
schools was
751.66.

30. Sources
✤ edresults.org
✤ cde.ca.gov